LANCASTER C0T7NTT. 57 



Emigration, during this unhappy state of affairs, wa5 

 ▼ery Umited. Though the oppression abroad was very 

 great, and a free asykim held to all of eveiy creed, the 

 influx of population had for a season stopped, and settle- 

 ments sparsely made. None seemed, even in the pro- 

 vince, to adventure an approach in settling nearer the 

 banks of the Susquehanna. Those who advanced 

 took forethought not to seat far from " tiiIU and mcetmg: 

 house.^' A few quaker pioneers settled about the year 

 1707, in Kcmiet, Chester county. Among others wcro 

 Vhicent Caldwell, Thomas Wickersham, Joel Bailey, 

 Thomas Hope, Guyan Miller.* 



Nothing of importance of a local character, within the 

 limits of Lancaster county, occurred during the first year 

 of Gookhi's admhiistration. The Indians had sent 

 geveral messages to him and council. lie promised them 

 a visit, but was prevented by public business. Lest he 

 might forfeit their confidence, he instructed the sectretary 

 at a comicil, held at Philadelphia, June S, 1709, forth-^ 

 with to despatch a messenger to the Conestogo and 

 other Indians, &c., with instructions in writing to excuse 

 him from coming, because the assembly was then irb 

 session upon an important business, and as a credential^. 

 he commanded the messenger to take a good belt of 

 wampum with him, to inform them that if they designed, 

 to pay a visit to the Five Nations, they ar« now busily 



convenient to a politician — and by this distinction, the point 

 was gained. 



All quit-rents were abolished, except in Manors^by tlie ninth, 

 •etJtion of the Divesting Act, passed 2Tth November, 1779-—, 

 Smith's Laws, Pa. II, 138. 



The quit-rents were not uniform ; they varied from one, 

 fchilling sterling per hundred acres^ to six shillings, ^,?r anmi^^ 

 and in other instances more. 



*PrQud, I. 482. 



